Montreal has a new player assigned the number 76.
Newly acquired forward Zack Bolduc is set to wear the jersey number famously associated with former fan favourite P.K. Subban during his time with the Canadiens.
Bolduc was traded to Montreal by the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday as part of a deal that sent defenseman Logan Mailloux the other way.
He becomes just the third player in the long history of the Canadiens franchise to wear number 76. The only others were Jozef Balej in 2004 and P.K. Subban.
Subban wore the number while playing for the Habs from the 2010 season through 2016.
The 22-year-old forward, who comes from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, grew up a dedicated Canadiens fan and described having mixed feelings when he received the news of the trade.
Speaking to the media via Zoom on Tuesday, Bolduc said, “When [Blues GM] Doug Armstrong told me he`d traded me to the Canadiens, I was a bit shocked. I was super excited, but definitely shocked, because honestly, it`s something I`ve dreamed about since I was a kid.”
It`s likely that watching players like Subban was a part of that childhood dream, as Bolduc`s professional hockey career began in 2019.